It seems there's a good solution that should please everyone and it's already been suggested - either there's a section of this forum that is just a playground and perhaps the moderators have the power to cut and paste anything that's getting too silly in their judgment into that area, or a separate forum is set up where anything goes, bar spam.

Like I already said, I understand the need people have to play, babble and banter. And I beleive that it has its place. That is why there is a General Forum. I do not want to be excessively limiting. But having no rules just doesn't work. You like to throw out words like formless and freedom and playground, and all that seems very positive, while rules, moderation and censorship are like dirty words. But the bottom line is that most people who come here, come because they are looking for information about Eckhart Tolle, or to discuss something related to his books and teachings. They do not come here neither to observe to participate in these private games you play. This is an Eckhart Tolle forum and I will strive to perserve a certain level of content quality!

This is not the first forum I have created. And the last one turned just into such a mess. There gathers a small group of people who love to post and post endlessly, everywhere, polluting virually every topic with things that are completely unrelated to the thread. At best they are veering off into unrelated terrotories, at worst they talk about things that do not even make sense to someone who hasn't followed the whole history of their intercations. If you feel you need a place to share poetry, or discuss the weather, or flirt than go to the general forum and do it there. If you want to write something that is meant for just one person, PM that person! Take into consideration that you are not the only ones that are reading the threads.

I missed out on all of this yesterday. It seems to me that the site may be developing a protective EGO of it's own. "You're wrong and I'm right". There is also a little bit of two facedness about it. For example, on reading the thread with the emphasis on RESPECT, I would have thought that the remarks thrown at Din were very DISRESPECTFUL of his contributions to this site

Maybe then it might be a good idea for you to create your own Formless Forum where you can be uncontained and thoughtless to your whim's delight.

Surely we should be conscious of the bigger picture here, which is to serve all visitors to the site, in pointing the way towards consciousness. This should include Din.!

Myself, was one of the most inspirational influences on this site for some time. She gave life to Tolle's teachings. She split the atom and energised the site (smooches aside)

Most visitors to this site would have read some of Tolle's teachings and would be searching for more. But more of what ? More food for the mind ? We can go on reading forever. Reading can be just something for the mind to play with.

In his book "A New Earth" Tolle said it was not just a book to be read, it was meant to be a life transforming experience. Roll up roll up all those who have been transformed. Where are they? Very few and far between I might say.

Yet when we have Myself, one of the most passionate vibrant exponents of that life transformation on our doorstep, we put the boot in !

If we bring in rules, which discourage people like Myself (and Din), then in my opinion, the site may fail to achieve it's full potential. It will exist only to serve those who may lack sufficient courage.

Myself has been a warrior in non duality. Read her post on "The smile of joy" and tell me this isn't true.

This is my daughter. Look at the joy in that child's face? Isn't she beautiful? She smiles inside and out, from head to toe!

There is NOTHING that communicates more than the joy that comes through a genuine smile!

I smile like that. I have extraordinary smiles... because I exude joy... many comment on it. I smile through every pore, through every cell, from inside my toes on out through the tips of my hair. To tell the truth I wish I could put a HUGE photo of myself on here... to SHARE this smile with you.

Who is smiling? God is smiling.. Being is smiling... through me, with me, as me... to You!

SMILE WITH ME!!! C'MON... SMILE WITH ME!! LAUGH WITH ME!! LOVE WITH ME!!

Let your light shine! God gave you the light... God made you as light... LET IT SHINE!!!!

We are the same... we are not separate, but One.. one Being... smiling at oneself... through many eyes.

There is nothing serious going on. Only one huge smile... that goes on and on and on... forever.... echoing back I LOVE YOU through all eternity.

Do you see beauty in me? Great! God made me beautiful.. and I shine it on you. God made you beautiful too... don't feel like you're not a part of this beauty, because YOU ARE. We are ONE AND THE SAME!

Everything you see... is Being exuding Joy! You are surrounded by it, cocooned by it, YOU ARE IT!

And when you hug... how do you hug? Do you hug as God would hug? Do you hug with joy, with intimacy, with a huge WELCOME?! Do you hug with your ENTIRE BEING?

I hug like that. Because I know mySelf to BE THAT. Many have commented on my hugs. You can't help but feel loved once I hug you.

God gave me Beauty to shine... so I shine it. God gave me Joy to share, so I share it. God gave me LOVE to extend, so I extend it.

Who am I to doubt God and tell him He's wrong? Who am I to tell God what to do? Who am I other than the very BEING that is SHINING ITSELF?

heidi wrote:They do a search and find us. It could be somebody from Iceland, Sweden, Israel, Germany, Iraq, Kuwait, Ukraine, England, Australia, Canada, Poland or even China and everywhere else.

Hi everyone,

I don't know the background for this topic, but I completely appreciate what heidi is doing for us here. I'm new on forums since I read Tolle's books. I was wondering what forums could be for - cherishing opinions? - which is the opposite of what the books are trying to teach us...

I hit the website the other day by googling about Eckhart Tolle but I didn't really stop or check it out. I had a too quick judgment from an impression of one glimpse that this forum may not be for me as they may be just some egos' interactions...

I came back again with much confusion about my current job situation and being present hoping to see some signs for my next move and I'm glad I registered and found the forum very helpful...

Thank you all for helping make this forum a positive energy field where we can learn and grow and contribute to the birth of a new earth...

I'm new to this forum and am a bit unsure about what I'm allowed to write about. The description states that this community revolves around Eckhart Tolle but is not limited to him. Are were therefore allowed to write about spiritual things which relate to the types of things Eckhart Tolle was referring to, or does it have to be exclusively about Eckhart Tolle's writings? What I mean is, the path to finding our true selves and the oneness that exists between and within us seems to be one of the main purposes of his writing, so discussion about such things would be relevant. However, I am not sure if it is only permissible to write about what Eckhart Tolle had to say about this, in this community. It seems to me that one purpose of such discussions, might be to further our understanding of the deep spirituality that Eckhart referred to, and to see how we too can experience such things, if we haven't already. With this in mind, any spiritual discussion, which allows exploration of this type of spirituality, including other teachers who have said similar things, would seem to me to be relevant. Partly because if we limit our idea of spirituality to the form Eckhart Tolle used to describe and express it, we will limit our understanding as no spiritual experience can ever be captured in words; simply because an experience is an experience, whereas words are representations of such experiences. It is the ideas/experiences behind the words which are important and being too attached to one form or another, is likely to impede this.

However, if this community is solely focused on Eckhart Tolle then I respect that, I just need some clarification on this, so that I know what is permissible here and what is not. I am also unsure whether I am permitted to talk about my own spiritual experiences, where they relate to a deeper kind of spirituality such as ego loss, the Self within and being in the moment?

Welcome, calm. (Nice screen name, by the way... ) I'm a bit surprised that you have asked your questions. They would have been answered, I think, if you were to read many of the wide variety of posts which have appeared here, both recently and in years past. You are very welcome to discuss your personal variety of spiritual experience, but our general focus will be towards awakening, Advaita, enlightenment, unity consciousness, the perennial philosophy, etc. This is to say that while interesting, Out-of-body experiences, Near-death experiences, aromatherapy, psychic phenomena, shamanism, Kaballah, and any of a variety of mystical rituals are probably unlikely to be tolerated for long periods. In addition, most traditional religious dogma is discouraged, although Anthony DeMello, Rumi, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Merton, and some gnostic texts occasionally get a few threads. About ten percent of the recent topics have specifically addressed Eckhart Tolle and his work.

Fire away. We will courteously discourage topics which are way off point. The basic rules are here: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2051

Namaste, and welcome again.............

Andy

A person is not a thing or a process, but an opening through which the universe manifests. - Martin HeideggerThere is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present. - James Joyce